Workstations

By Courtney E. Howard, Senior Technical Editor

Intel recently unveiled its latest innovations, including Xeon processors with Extended Memory 64-bit Technology (EM64T), triggering a number of announcements from industry-leading workstation vendors. Moreover, Intel's PCI Express graphics bus is gaining popularity, and finding a home in the latest workstation offerings from industry-leading manufacturers. Al-though a number of mobile workstations targeted at content creators have come to market, this page concentrates on the latest releases in the desktop workstation arena. For more information, visit www.onlinecenter.to/cgw.

Verari Systems, formerly RackSaver, unveiled its latest graphics workstation: the NemeSys X64 during SIGGRAPH 2004 in Los Angeles last month. Attendees were among the first to witness Verari Systems' new dual-processor workstation designed for creative and technical professionals. The NemeSys X64 boasts 64-bit Intel Xeon processors, Intel EM64 Technology, and a PCI Express Nvidia graphics card. For more specifics about the NemeSys X64, turn to pg. 4.
Verari Systems;www.verari.com

Dell has launched the Precision 470 and 670, which employ Intel Xeon processors with EM64T. Able to power 64-bit as well as 32-bit programs, the company's new dual-processor-capable systems incorporate DDR2 memory and the PCI Express bus to ensure heightened performance and future scalability.
Dell;www.dell.com

Alienware has announced the MJ-12 3100 workstation based on the Intel Tumwater chipset, PCI Express, and DDR2 memory. The MJ-12 can accommodate up to two high-performance video cards; as a result, it can support four displays. Starting at $1935, the MJ-12 3100 includes the Nvidia Quadro FX4000 graphics card and a choice of high-end software and hardware options, including a 400gb hard drive. The new release is optimized for digital content creators with a large amount of space, high processing speed, and cutting-edge software and hardware components.
Alienware;www.alienware.com

Hewlett-Packard has launched three new personal workstations: the xw8200, xw6200, and xw4200. All three models boast the company's latest advancements, including an innovative tool-less design for faster service and improved acoustics via new quiet fan technology. Able to run 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows and Linux, the xw8200 and xw6200 boast the Intel Tumwater chipset, Intel Xeon processors with EM64T, and PCI Express technology.
Hewlett-Packard;www.hp.com

Apple has premiered the Power Mac G5, equipped with a 64-bit desktop processor and 1ghz front-side bus. The workstation, powered by the PowerPC G5 processor from IBM and Apple, features 64-bit processing technology, enabling users to benefit from memory expansion (up to 8gb) and 64-bit computing. The Power Mac G5 is available now in three configurations.
Apple;www.apple.com